If Food Network is considered pornography for foodies, then Notes from a Kitchen is the print version. The only thing missing is a centerfold featuring a seductive photo of crème fraiche dripping down a plump, pink salmon steak.
This two-volume, 900-page, cloth-covered collection is unlike any other publication we’ve ever seen devoted to food. The creators are provocative artist, filmmaker and photographer Jeff Scott and chef Blake Beshore, who call it a re-envisioning of the modern American cookbook.
But “cookbook” doesn’t even come close to describing these monstrous books.
Instead, the volumes are filled with more than 1,000 stunning photographs of everything from America’s hottest chefs putting the finishing touches on spectacular culinary creations to images of, oh, the behind-the-scenes world of slaughterhouses.
Among the featured chefs are George Mendes (ALDEA, New York), Jason Neroni (Osteria La Buca, Los Angeles), Joel Harrington (Stephan Pyles, Dallas) and hottie Johnny Iuzzini (Jean Georges, New York). Interspersed are pages from their hand-written notebooks to activities they participate in after they leave the kitchen for the day.
Ultimately, it’s a love letter to the people (from the farmers and ranchers all the way to the sous chefs and pasty chefs) who aren’t just making food, they’re creating art on every single plate by infusing every bite with their heart and soul.
You may not end up with a laundry list of recipes for this weekend’s dinner party, but you’ll definitely turn that last page and have a better appreciation for everything you put in your mouth.
Well, almost everything.
Photo Credit Jeff Scott
